(I assembled this quite a while ago, didn’t click “publish” while I awaited the author’s permission to print his column, and while it arrived quickly I completely forgot. But I think it’s an interesting perspective)
There’s an interesting analysis for anyone interested in the issue of how – or whether – a province can secede from Canada. (See here and here for the Vancouver Sun’s coverage of the disagreement between the federal and B.C. NDP ... Read More …

The headline for this story I filed for Wednesday’s Vancouver Sun focused on possible Tory gains in B.C. due to new seats, but what I found fascinating was the comment from UBC political scientist Richard Johnston.
Johnston has done a lot of work on elections and public opinion, as you can see from his biography, and I respect him a lot.
In my story he argued that if the Harper government was seen to ... Read More …

The federal Liberal party is struggling in the West, including in former urban B.C. fortress, as I noted in Thursday’s file. So it’s a bit of a struggle to find anything to write about at the party’s convention. That’s why I arrived early at work today to hear the speech of Vancouver environmental lawyer Matthew Kalkman, only 23. The Liberals, as most will tell you, have had an obsession with finding a messianic leader ... Read More …

My story today on Calgary MP Michelle Rempel is as much an indictment of Canadian politics as it is a shot in the arm for the rookie Tory. What has caught everyone’s eye is how she calmly, confidently, and assertively handles opposition questions in the House of Commons. She doesn’t appear wooden or nervous, she doesn’t hold a sheet of paper before her eyes and read scripted answers from the prime minister’s office, and she ... Read More …